As I write we’re awash with weddings.   Kitri, Aurora, James and Désiré are all celebrating matrimonials at regular intervals.    The juniors had their turn to shine in the spotlight earlier today and now it’s the turn of the seniors.

One has to wonder what Bournonville exponent and President of the Jury, Frank Andersen, must be thinking as the twenty-third James of the afternoon launches into his solo from La Sylphide?

The backstage area is alive with whooping, hollering and applause.  Those not dancing avidly follow the progress of those on stage via video relay.   There are two or three monitors strategically placed around the warm-up area.

Sometimes the marriage doesn't work out -- the story dies on the vine, despite multiple attempts to breathe life into it.   This sadly will be the case later today, for even with the best will in the world, not everyone will go forward to tomorrow’s final round.   For those dancers not selected, the Prix offers a series of classes to which they can be seen by those school and company directors here in Lausanne.   Following these classes, we arrange meetings for those dancers whom directors of our partner institutions have expressed interest.   This is our sixth year of offering this Networking Forum and to date, 70 students have been offered places at partner schools or companies as a result.

More and more guests are arriving by the minute.   Possibly they’d received hard-won invitations to share in the marriage celebrations?   Amongst the glitterati, today saw the arrival of Rachel Moore (Executive Director, American Ballet Theatre), Lindsay Fisher (Artistic Director YOU  Dance/Ballet Master, National Ballet of Canada) and Nina Ananiashvili (Artistic Director, the State Ballet of Georgia).    The “superstar ballerina” is as gracious and effervescent as ever.   Nina remains the physical embodiment of all that is exquisite in our art form.   

In the basement studio Leanne Benjamin and Edward Watson, guest artists from London’s Royal Ballet, are rehearsing the pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon in readiness for tomorrow’s entr’acte performance.

I will close now for one of my former students, Bryan Chan (who is successfully leading his career with Zurich Ballet), is coming to Lausanne to see me in a little while.   I have to hope that there’ll be time amid the frenetic tumult of tomorrow to update you.  However, if this doesn’t transpire, do please enjoy the live transmission of the finals on the web at www.prixdelausanne-live.com

C u all next year!

There is less to report today as everyone is frantically readying themselves for tomorrow’s marathon. On stage, each candidate will present their classical variation, followed by the contemporary pieces. This will take us from 9.45am until 6.30pm. After which, the jury will deliberate. The list of those progressing to the final round is available two hours later.

Saturday is always the hardest day of the competition for it is not only lengthy but emotionally draining. Note to self: Bring plenty of tissues.

Cathy Marston is with us today for the first time.  What a rare privilege it is for the candidates to receive coaching and advice from a choreographer of such renown.

STOP PRESS.   Our youtube channel is the 31st most viewed channel in the world right now (that translates as more than 50,000 views in one day!).

Just wait until the recording of the final round is made available on Monday.   I swear we’ll present Avatar with a challenge for audience figures!

It’s snowing today.   It’s not much but is sufficient to make everything look picturesque.

More and more important dance personalities are arriving here by the minute, whilst more and more people are starting to identify who they think holds the winning lottery ticket to a glittering professional career.   Note to self: Set up betting booth at stage door.

As we’ve had time to view the candidates some spectacularly accomplished techniques  - compelling in both delicacy and bravura – are in evidence.   However, there are too some serious concerns, which all of the teachers and coaches have identified.  A sad lack of musicality is both distressing and bewildering.   Each movement needs to be imbued with the music, otherwise the dancing looks muted.   Possibly having an audience on Saturday and Sunday will offer the candidates a nudge, a pinch, to affect the dynamics of their dancing.

Within the ephemeral lifecycle of the competition we experienced today both the good and the bad.   An Argentinean boy is celebrating his 19th birthday, whilst a Chinese girl has had to withdraw.  

Today the jury spent the day observing the contemporary technique classes and tomorrow will focus attention on the coaching of the Marston and Wheeldon solos.    Friday too is the last day for the jury to consider the candidates in a studio setting.  On Saturday the candidates will be on stage prioritising fulfilment over potential.    It will then be time to move onto a new scale of achievement.   It is to be hoped that the best is yet to come.

Tonight, at the sumptuous Beau Rivage Palace hotel (one of the Prix’s longstanding and loyal sponsors) there is a glitzy soirée to honour the jury, where we’ll all be lavishly fêted.   From a personal point of view I’m looking forward to a respite away from dance.    A regular side effect of spending so many hours in the theatre is that bits of Minkus and Delibes keep returning to your head, unbidden. 

If I’m late posting this blog tomorrow, anticipate that I’m sleeping off the effects of too much champagne!

There are celebrities in the dance world and today we saw two of them walk through the stage door – Kay Mazzo (Co-Chairman of Faculty, School of American Ballet) and Gailene Stock (Director of the Royal Ballet School).  

For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Kay Mazzo, let me tell you she was one of George Balanchine’s most exquisite ballerinas.   I was privileged to see Kay dance on the rare occasions New York City Ballet visited London in the ‘70s and the impression of her startlingly astringent dancing in the second duet from Mr. B’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto remains firmly imprinted on my mind.  

For me, Gailene Stock embodies the very essence of elegance and perfect poise.   Whilst she commands a tireless work schedule, Gailene is ever gracious with a touch of quiet grandeur.  

Do the candidates realise just how fortunate they are commanding the undivided attention of the world’s dance elite in every step they take?

Big news is the fact that the final round performance on Sunday is sold-out.   This has been the pattern for several years now and, whilst we may all still be experiencing jitters about the global financial climate, it’s gratifying to learn of a devoted public eagerly awaiting the performance of the finalists.

As I type away I’m supported musically by the ballet scores of Tchaikovsky in the background.   The candidates have each been allocated five minutes to place their set classical solos on stage.    With so many variations to get through this makes for a protracted study in assorted entrances and exits.   In fact, we started placing at 11.00am this morning and will only finish at 8.30pm.    Tomorrow, Viviana Durante (critically lauded as ‘the most dramatic of dancers’) will be on site to assist the candidates delve beneath the surface of the choreographic lexicon, by providing individual coaching.   

In spite of our remarkably cosmopolitan backgrounds and training, everyone is working with enthusiasm to pass on something of our fragile heritage, whilst nurturing experimental directions in both training and performance.   Who would have thought so much was at the heart of a ballet competition?

Greetings from chilly Lausanne.   With registration over, the candidates are taking their first technique classes as I write.    The boys are downstairs in Studio 2 taking classical class in two groups, whilst the girls are upstairs in Studio 1 for contemporary.   The jury is observing all four classical classes today but are not yet marking the candidates.   This begins tomorrow.   

At first sight I worry so many of the candidates are impressive technically yet appear unable to project any feeling in their dancing.   Without such, they tell the audience nothing.   Whilst we all love to see a virtuosic solo well executed on stage and finished perfectly, if this doesn’t go hand in hand with musicality, poetry and vitality, it simply doesn’t work.

Sadly a number of candidates have been forced to withdraw due to injury.  Hopefully there will be other opportunities for them to join the competition in future years.    Additionally my dear friend and colleague Arlette van Boven has had to retire from serving on the jury this year due to illness.   We all wish her well for a speedy recovery.

The tension throughout the morning whilst each group was warming up backstage has been truly palpable.   However the three wonderfully generous technique tutors  - Cynthia Harvey, Patrick Armand and Didy Veldman  - are working especially hard in their teaching to calm frayed nerves and offer warming words of encouragement.  I think by the end of the day everyone will be feeling more at ease.

Having a raked floor built within one of the rehearsal studios appears to have met with universal approval.  No one is thrilled with the sharp incline but with each pirouette the endings are becoming encouragingly cleaner.   Long may this trend continue!

En route to the theatre this morning I crossed a huge bridge in the centre of Lausanne on which are exhibited 15 – 20 life-size photographs of candidates from last year’s competition.   Captured in vibrant colour and reflecting the sublime aesthetic beauty of these talented young dancers at the peak of performance, I forgot for several minutes just how biting was the wind.    Being in Lausanne for the competition it is entirely rewarding to see how the city embraces with genuine enthusiasm and pride this very special event.    It is gratifying to behold and gratifying to be a part of.